Down to Earth

by Julia Turshen

From the beloved cookbook author Julia Turshen, a queer love story set in your new favorite town, Sungold.

Frankie doesn’t quite know what to make of Paige, who’s just moved from Brooklyn to her quiet Upstate New York hometown with all the pressed-clothes polish of a city girl. Paige, with her eight-year-old son in tow, is seeking refuge from a rocky relationship and is equally thrown by Frankie: Why can’t she stop thinking about this eternally single, charming, gay vegetable farmer? And could the attraction she’s feeling grow into something more?

Genres: Romance, Fiction, LGBT, Queer, Audiobook, Lesbian, Contemporary Romance

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2026

Reviews

[Adi]

This was a very cute sapphic romance! I really enjoyed the setting, the cast of characters, the city girl/farmer pairing, the body positivity, and overall I found it to be a very easy read.

There were a couple things that kept my rating at 3 stars. 1) As someone who doesn't love dual POV, I did feel that this one felt a bit insta-lovey. And 2) there was a bit of a grey area with Paige falling in love with someone while on a "trial" separation (maybe not a trial for her, but a trial for her husband?).

Other than that, I thought this was an incredibly sweet read and one a lot of people will enjoy!

Thank you so much to 831 stories for the copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Hannah]

I ate this up like it was dessert!! I loved it so much! They had me at queer vegetable farmer!!

The setting for this book was absolutely perfect! The author did such a wonderful job at describing everything in such a dreamy voice! I just adored their writing style and will be reading more from them!

I loved loved loved Paige and Frankie! I loved that they both had real world issues that they were working with and that they’re doing their best to deal with them. I loved Frankie’s body positivity and it was refreshing to see that in a book. She was just so unbelievably cool and she cares so much about her workers and the people in the town!

I loved all the background characters too! I hope we get more books based off of the other people in the town! This book had such a fun diverse set of characters and I don’t feel quite ready to leave this cute town!

I definitely recommend reading this sweet book if you love sapphic love stories and Stardew Valley vibes!

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Kelsey | Pages Between Policy]

In different hands, this story could have been reduced to an immature Hallmark-style plot, but with Turshen as the author, every part of this novella absolutely sung. Down to Earth was everything a romance novella should be - deliciously sensual, deeply emotional, and compulsively enjoyable, I was kicking my feet and giggling from start to finish.

This sexy, sapphic story between a confident queer vegetable farmer and a young mom from the city who is exploring her sexuality while on a separation from her husband was the perfect length and depth. At a crisp 200-ish pages, Turshen takes her time developing both the characters of Frankie and Paige, allowing them to explore their own desires and each other. Unfolding over the course of a summer, chock full of exquisite descriptions of food and important reflections about community and its meaning in all our lives, the unhurried pace reveals gem after gem.

The story and characters alike felt especially grounded and down to earth. A real treat to read and a perfect read to scoop you right out of a reading slump.

(Loved the little reference to Rooting Interest for those of us who are up on the 831 catalogue).

[Danielle]

I’m always eating up a sapphic, grumpy/sunshine romance but I wanted something a bit deeper here. Parts of this just felt a little unbelievable to me, some of the dialogue between Paige and Frankie on their dates, etc.

And I really can’t deal with Frankie being described as “moving like an elegant truck”

Gotta draw the line somewhere

[Megan]

In “Down to Earth”, Faith takes a break from New York City and her failing marriage to slow down for the summer and reevaluate what she wants from life. She and her son, Bobby, move to Sungold where Faith quickly befriends the local vegetable farmer, Frankie. Faith and Frankie’s relationship grows as they face life’s obstacles and cultivate the love they deserve in this sapphic summer romance.

I love a main character who is a parent and this book was no exception! I also enjoy a small town romance and the sweet vibes of Sungold shone throughout the book. This was fun and I’d recommend this to anyone interested in a sapphic, hallmark-esque story with mature main characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Marlou]

I love me an 831 sapphic romance! Gimme more pls

[Taylor]

So sweet! A delicious summertime treat; of course there are incredible descriptions of food. I also loved her depiction of how picturesque the Hudson Valley is, which is arguably the most beautiful place on earth. And there is also some subtle/not-so-subtle body positivity woven in that was really nice to read. Makes me want a tomato sandwich and a hot farmer who harvested those tomatoes for me!

[Annie Tate Cockrum]

Very sweet! I've been loving the new 831 books where the protagonist is older and/or a parent - this one, Rooting Interest, and Major Gift. The main characters of this are only in their 40s but it still feels refreshing reading about people finding love, who aren't young young. I felt especially charmed by Frankie, one of our main characters, who runs a farm in upstate ny. I'd read a prequel about her for sure.

Out 6/23!

[Mary Gael]

ARC review - thank you net galley for the ARC!!!

Loved this and it was so deeply felt. The setting was gorgeous, I loved their relationship, and the side characters were just enough sprinkled in to flesh out the world without detracting from the narrative. And though it had a slow start, once things got moving I was flying through it. 831 stories are always a hit with me!!!

[NRC]

Ooooh I liked this a lot! Once again, I wish this were a full-length novel so that we could get more background on the characters and the community, also more drama with Jared. I loved the way Julia wrote about the different female forms. Is it too late to move to upstate New York and be a hot lesbian farmer?

[my scary library]

This was my first 831 stories book and I was pleasantly surprised! It was quite readable and displayed amazing queer representation of butch lesbians, bisexual fems, and nonbinary people. It was also a breath of fresh air reading a romance about characters in their 40s. On the other hand, this book didn’t blow my socks off; I have read romances where I have gotten more attached, and this could be because of the novel’s length. Overall, this was a sweet lesbian romance and if you’re looking for something short but that still packs a punch, this book is for you!

[emily (whatsemilyreading)]

shoutout 831 stories for the earc <3 i am from upstate new york and i realllllly love reading stories set in upstate! this one was super enjoyable. paige and frankie's chemistry was off the charts. i'm learning as i get older that i adore second chance romance, and i really liked that this was a later-in-life queer awakening of sorts. not a huuuuge fan of kids in books but bobby made himself scarce enough i could stomach it. i miss upstate in the summer and i loved being able to make myself at home in this story for a few days. 831 hasn't missed for me yet!!!!

[Madison Ramirez]

Thank you 831 Stories & Julia Turshen for this ARC of Down to Earth!

I throughly enjoyed this easy small town summer romance. Quick read with dynamic characters. Wish it was full length so we could learn more about Frankie.

Spoiler: Only one explicit scene about mid-way through the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️/5

[Ry DiFalco]

“her ass is substantial” is one of the craziest things I’ve ever read in any context about any person and will stay with me long after I’ve left this mortal coil.

[Jenni]

Had me thinking living on a farm wouldn’t be that bad.

[Emily]

A delicious nothing burger

[Gabriela Della Corna]

A fun fluffy little lesbian romance about a Brooklynite divorcé and a veggie farmer. Exactly as advertised. Everything was a little too “written on the walls” for me to rate this any higher than a 3, but overall I enjoyed the upstate NY vibes and the depiction of a fat (neutral term!!) woman as sexy and powerful—a force and a presence. Loved that.

[Fiona W]

There was zero conflict but what a delight. Brassicas 4ever.

[Harrison Choate]

it’s so hard to see other people living your dream

[Ann]

Ever wanted to uproot your life and go fall in love on a farm? Because if so the sapphic romance Down to Earth by Julia Turnsten (also a cookbook writer/chef) is for you!

Paige is separated from her husband for the summer taking some time with her son to decide what to do about her marriage and goes to Sungold, New York. When she meets Frankie, the cute farmer who runs Two Peas Farm, sparks fly and romance ensues.

The perfect mix of steam, comfort, and the most delicious sounding food I’ve ever heard. If you are capable of reading this book and not spending the whole time craving a tomato sandwich —which I’ve never even had (but will make with Frankie’s recipe!), than you have a lot more willpower than me.

I also think the novella does a great job of showing just how much work farming can be! This is such a cute summer book about how it’s never too late to start over and fall in love again! Thank you 831 stories for the ARC and ALC. Also Julia you should write more fiction! you’ve got a new fan!

[kailin]

4.25 ★
i love how every novella from 831 stories manages to cover a wide ranges of topics while creating a diverse and dynamic cast of characters you genuinely care about.

down to earth was so good — touching on topics like fatphobia, sexuality, local farming, the value in community, a slower pace of life, grief, learning to move through it and most importantly, going after the life you want without hesitation. i loved how frankie and paige were instantly drawn to one another, but the chemistry and relationship still had a natural build. i really enjoyed the dual povs and all the quick recipes frankie pulled out. you can really tell the author is passionate about food and thanks to her, i will be making myself a tomato sandwich asap.

thank you to julia turshen, 831 stories and netgalley for this e-arc 🖤

[coco's reading]

DNF @ pg. 96

I wanted to stick with this for the sapphic romance and plus-size representation, but Down to Earth was pretty underwhelming. The story never got cozy like I'd expected—the town's named Sungold, and there's an emphasis on farming and community—and I struggled to connect to and enjoy either Paige or Frankie. Dual POV in romance novels tends to work really well for me, but in a novella such as this, it meant one character (Frankie) didn't get as much focus. I also wasn't a fan of the general scenario of Paige being on a trial separation from her husband—who doesn't seem to truly grasp that's what's happening—and starting a romantic relationship during this period when she's meant to be focusing on herself and her son.

[Katie • forevermorepages]

I really enjoyed this!! I've read two 831 stories novellas so far and they've both hit the mark for me. This one was really sweet, if not a little bit insta-lovey, and I enjoyed the dynamic between Paige and Frankie. I especially loved Frankie and her whole farm vibe.

The third act conflict lost me a little bit (as it usually does) and I feel like the resolution was a bit rushed (though I was also nodding off while reading the last couple pages because staying up late to finish a book is hard on me hahah).

But it was overall a very sweet read and one I'll easily recommend! Watching Paige's personal journey was also quite lovely.

[Sara]

this just really did not do it for me in a multitude of ways.

The best part - the description of the tomato sandwich (made with ingredients fresh from the garden.) Julia Turshen is a fantastic cookbook author and it showed!
The worst part was one character (lovingly and in full seriousness) called their girlfriend "an elegant truck." Girl! What happened to just calling them stunning and hot? Must we involve trucks???

[Blaire Taylor]

I love butch representation. I do feel like this would’ve benefitted being a full length novel but still fantastic

[Megan Strauss]

Funny to go from Yesteryear farm life to Down to Earth farm life without meaning to. This novella was alright, but too surface level. I felt like the author could have gone deeper in Frankie’s family history, Paige’s identity, and Bobby’s challenges with family crisis.

[E Mourot]

I flew through this in a day! Such a cute, quick, and endearing read.

[Jessica Insogna]

Great to see this trope in a non-Hallmark setting. Amazing food descriptions. Need to go have a tomato sandwich now

[ana]

3.5 stars

it has everything i want in life: lesbians, single parent, a farm and a small town in new england

[Sara]

2.5 perhaps bc so cheesy silly but i did read it in one day so..